How to Stage an Open House

Selling your home can take some effort.  It can take some time and energy, but it’s worth it. To make things easier and to have more peace of mind, hiring a real estate agent is the best way to move forward. You should get more offers, avoid pitfalls and the process should go much smoother when an agent is involved.

When selling the house, you have to showcase it to potential buyers and convince them it’s worth their money. Staging the open house is one of the best ways to achieve this and if done correctly.  It can help you get a lot of offers fast. So how do you effectively stage an open house?

Be realistic, plan ahead and prioritize

A common mistake some people make right out of the gate when trying to sell a house is to inflate the price of the property because they have an emotional connection to it. Try not to think of it in emotional terms. If you want to sell the house, it helps to see things through the potential buyer’s eyes. They don’t have an emotional attachment to the property and don’t want to pay extra for that.

Before getting started on updates and improvements, make a plan that fits your budget and time frame. Put together a strategy to sell the house that works for you.

Cleaning

After making the plan, cleaning is the next step. Try to clean the house from top to bottom. Pay special attention to the bathroom and the kitchens. These areas tend to get a lot of use, and potential buyers are generally most interested in them.

De-clutter and depersonalize

Potential home buyers want to picture themselves in the house and not someone else. All the personal items like photos and other distracting items should be put away before staging the open house. Clean out the closets and organize them to avoid the impression that the house doesn’t have enough space. Think of this as getting a head start on packing. Remove the seasonal items too and donate or throw away the things that won’t be moving with you. Make the house look as spacious, smart, comfortable and clean as possible.

Painting

One of the most cost-effective ways of making your house look new again is by painting. Choose a color that is neutral and not bland. Don’t leave the bedroom shining with a bright magenta color. You might love it but the potential buyers may not. Painting works wonders on outdated cabinetry in the kitchen too. It can make the kitchen look updated and high end.

Update the lighting fixtures

Lighting fixtures are the jewelry of a home, and they are used by most buyers to date the property. Replace the broken lighting fixtures and update the outdated ones. Buy inexpensive contemporary accessories or revamp the old ones with some paint.

Make sure every room in the house looks sharp for the buyers so they will want to picture themselves living in it.

A little effort can go a long way when it comes to getting potential buyers to offer you more money for your home.